Vasily Kalafati (1869-1942)

[eschiss1]

Unless Sibelius is remarkably sophisticated at score ---> parts conversion, it's not only easy to guess but already easy to see what goes wrong (that "f" that occurs once in the whole string section of the -score- that needs however separately to occur in each string part only gets placed in the first violin part, to give one of many bad examples )

[Gareth Vaughan]

Yes. Sibelius is pretty sophisticated but human intervention is always required when it comes to producing parts from a score in order to avoid just the sort of error Eric describes. And tidying up the placing of "hairpins", rehearsal numbers, etc.

[Christopher]

So here's an intriguing thing:

I did some digging and found this - https://www.artandlife.gr/athens/events/filarmonia_orxistra_athinon_rosia_kai_ellada_moysikoi_kai_pneymatikoi_desmoi - google translate reveals that   "January 8, 2017 - Athens Philharmonic Orchestra "Russia and Greece: Music and Spiritual Ties"
Tchaikovsky, Kalinikov, Arensky and Vassilis Kalafatis of Greek origin are the composers honored by the Philharmonic in its fourth consecutive appearance, the first of the new year.
The theme of the fourth concert is dedicated to the close cultural relations between Greece and Russia. Initially presents three important works of great Russian composers who are relatively unknown to the Greek public:
• The Melancholic Serenade for violin and orchestra PI Tchaikovsky,
• The Symphony of "Cedar and the Phoenix" by V. Kalinnikov
• A. Arensky's "Variations on a Tchaikovsky Theme"

The program will close with the Symphony in La minor, Op. 12, by Vassili Kalafati,"

The Tchaikovsky, Kalinnikov and Arensky performances are all on youtube (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc3XS3sIPDA , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5v4ITvtk9I and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDwgapK4kn4 respectively) - but I cannot for the life of me find a recording on youtube of the Kalafati.  But it surely MUST have been recorded given that the rest of the concert was. 

Other research has revealed that the same orchestra played Kalafati's Polonaise in 2017, and that The State Athens Orchestra performed his Legenda in 2006.

Hhmmm.

[Christopher]

On this youtube page - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5v4ITvtk9I - which is a performance of Kalinnikov's "The Cedar and the Palm" at the 17 January 2017 concert mentioned above where the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra also played Kalafati's symphony, I wrote a comment asking whether a recording of the latter was also available.

The Athens Philharmonic has replied, saying Thank you! The record of Kalafatis will be available in the summer of 2020. More info then! - so let's wait and see....

[Alan Howe]

That's very good news, Christopher. Well done on sniffing it out!

[Gareth Vaughan]

Yes, well done indeed.

[dhibbard]

yes  well done !!

[dhibbard]

Yes. Sibelius is pretty sophisticated but human intervention is always required when it comes to producing parts from a score in order to avoid just the sort of error Eric describes. And tidying up the placing of "hairpins", rehearsal numbers, etc.

Yes it takes a human to review measure by measure of the original score to be sure it matches exactly..  that is what is time intensive about it.. once that is completed,  the score will play the music as intended.

[Mark Thomas]

The Symphony, and other works by Kalafati, will be available from Naxos at the end of this month. See here for details.

[Alan Howe]

Here's an appreciative review at MusicWeb:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Aug/Kalafati-symphony-8574132.htm

[adriano]

A little perenthesis about Photoscore versus Sibelius:
I am trying since years that this works properly, but it's a complete desaster as far as just a bit more complicated scores are concerned. They even say that handwritten scores can be read - fiddlesticks! One spends less time to re-enter a score anew directly with Sibelius!

[Reverie]

Sadly there are no magic shortcuts here. Note by note and a bit of copy/pasting if you're lucky is the only way. 

[Alan Howe]

And so back to Kalafati...

[chriss]

Here's an appreciative review at MusicWeb:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Aug/Kalafati-symphony-8574132.htm

I just received this new CD from Naxos and finished listening to the symphony for the first time. It's really delightful to listen to it. I enjoy it much more than other "russian" symphonies like the one by Kopylov.

[Mark Thomas]

I haven't yet listened to my copy, but I do hope that is indeed a better example of the Russian symphony than Kopylov's, which has always struck me as a particularly characterless and pallid affair.